This online course will highlight works in the newly opened Center for Netherlandish Art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Through the remarkable generosity of two Boston families, the museum was greatly enriched by over a hundred paintings and many art objects that present the seventeenth century in the Netherlands (Dutch Republic and Spanish Netherlands) in full. Current research in this field is widening its focus from the obvious artists, including Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck, Dou and others, to the lesser-known artists. The latter include women artists such as Rachel Ruysch, Michaelina Wautier, and Maria Schalcken and highly skilled but less familiar painters such as Jan Porcellis and Pieter Claesz. The multi-faceted art production of this period includes silver, porcelain, and furniture, all of which are well represented at the MFA.

An optional group field trip to the Museum of Fine Arts will be offered in early November, after the last online session.